Coconut Island is known to the Hawaiians as Moku
'Ola or "Island of Life." Moku 'Ola and Maka oku,
the piece of mainland opposite the island,
formed a place of refuge for defeated warriors
and others who needed safety. It is also said that
the many fresh water springs around the island are
beneficial to health.
The Legend: Maui, the demi-god, had a magic fishhook
which he would never show to anyone, not even his
brothers. He also had a magic canoe which could take him from island to island with two sweeps of his paddle.
One day as he watched a canoe leave on its way to
a neighboring island, Maui felt sorry for his people
who did not have a magic canoe. He called a meeting
of the chiefs and people and told them of his plan
to join the islands together so they could travel
throughout the kingdom easily. He told them he
needed their help to pull but that they should
not look back until the islands were connected.
Maui fastened his magic fishhook into Maui Island
and the men paddled and pulled with all their might
and the island slowly moved behind them.
Just as Maui Island was about to be connected
to Hawaii Island, one of the chiefs
(some say one of Maui's brothers) looked back and
broke the spell. All of the island slid back to
its former position except for the piece fastened
to Maui's fishhook. This piece of land
is known as Coconut Island or Moku 'Ola.